Martyrs of Karbala (Arabic: شهداء كربلاء) are those who were martyred on Muharram 10th (‘Ashura’), 61/ October 10, 680, in Karbala by Umar b. Sa’d’s army. Martyrs of Karbala include Imam al-Husayn (a), some members of Banu Hashim (Hashemites) and some of his companions. The exact number of martyrs of Karbala is unknown; however according to what is reported by majority of historians they were 72. Some martyrs are mentioned in all of the books, in which the event of Karbala is narrated, but some are only mentioned in some sources. 18 martyrs are from Banu Hashim (Hashimites) and the rest are Imam al-Husayn’s companions. al-Abbas b. Ali and Ali al-Akbar, Imam al-Husayn’s son, are the best known martyrs of Banu Hashim and al-Hurr b. Yazid al-Riyahi, Habib b. Muzahir and Muslim b. Awsaja al-Asadi are the famous martyrs among Imam’s companions. Except for Hurr b. Yazid, all the martyrs were buried in Karbala.
Number of Martyrs
There are different reports about the number of the martyrs of Karbala in sources. However, in most of them they were counted 72, 18 of which were from Banu Hashim (Hashemites) and the rest were from other tribes. They were divided into 34 cavalry and 40 infantry. In al-Irsahd, al-Shaykh al-Mufid reported that the heads of martyrs of Karbala were 72. Reporting the same number of heads, al-Baladhuri added that Abu Mikhnaf narrated the number of heads which was brought by each tribe to Ubayd Allah b. Ziyad: 13 heads were brought by the tribe of Kinda led by Qays b. al-Ash’ath, 20 heads by Hawazin led by Shimr b. Dhi l-Jawshan, 17 heads by Banu Tamim, 16 heads by Banu Asad, 7 heads by Madhhij and 9 heads by Qays (totally 82 heads).
Some other sources have reported different numbers:
Al-Mas’udi: All people who were killed along with Husayn (a) on the day of Ashura’ in Karbala were 87.
Al-Sayyid b. Tawus: it is narrated that the companions of Imam al-Husayn (a) were 78 people, 79 with Imam (a).
Muhammad Baqir al-Majlisi has narrated from Muhammad b. Abi Talib that they were 82.
It is also reported from Imam al-Baqir (a) that the martyrs of Karbala were 45 cavalry and 100 infantry.
Martyrs of Banu Hashim
According to the most famous narration, 18 individuals from Banu Hashim were martyred including Imam al-Husayn (a) in Karbala.
Children of Imam Ali (a)
Al-Abbas
Abd Allah
Uthman
Ja’far
Abu Bakr
Muhammad
Children of Imam al-Hasan al-Mujtaba (a)
Al-Qasim
Abu Bakr
‘Abd Allah
Umar
Children of Imam al-Husayn (a)
Ali known as Ali al-Akbar
Abd Allah known as Ali al-Asghar
Others
Ja’far b. Aqil
Abd al-Rahman b. Aqil
Abd Allah b. Aqil
Muhammad b. Abi Sa’id b. Aqil
Abd Allah b. Muslim b. Aqil
Muhammad b. Abd Allah b. Ja’far
Awn b. Abd Allah b. Ja’far
Rare Reports
The name of 42 members of Banu Hashim was mentioned just in some of references:
Ibrahim b. Ali
Al-Abbas al-Asghar b. Ali
Ja’far b. Ali
Abd Allah al-Akbar b. Ali
Abd Allah al-Asghar b. Ali
Ubayd Allah b. Ali
Umar b. Ali
Atiq b. Ali
Al-Qasim b. Ali
Bishr b. al-Hasan
Umar b. al-Hasan
Abu Bakr b. al-Husayn
Abu Bakr b. al-Qasim b. al-Husayn
Ibrahim b. al-Husayn
Ja’far b. al-Husayn
Hamza b. al-Husayn
Zayd b. al-Husayn
Al-Qasim b. al-Husayn
Muhammad b. al-Husayn
Umar b. al-Husayn
Muhammad b. Aqil
Muhammad b. Abd Allah b. Aqil
Hamza b. Aqil
Ali b. Aqil
Awn b. Aqil
Ja’far b. Muhammad b. Aqil
Abu Sa’id b. Aqil
Ibrahim b. Muslim b. Aqil
Muhammad b. Muslim b. Aqil
Abd al-Rahman b. Muslim b. Aqil
Ubayd Allah b. Muslim b. Aqil
Abu Abd Allah b. Muslim b. Aqil
Ali b. Muslim b. Aqil
Ibrahim b. Ja’far
Muhammad b. Ja’far
Awn b. Ja’far b. Ja’far
Abu Bakr b. Abd Allah b. Ja’far
Awn al-Asghar b. Abd Allah b. Ja’far
Al-Husayn b. Abd Allah b. Ja’far
Ubayd Allah b. Abd Allah b. Ja’far
Muhammad b. al-Abbas
Ahmad b. Muhammad al-Hashimi
Martyrs of Companions
Imam al-Husayn (a):
I do not know any companion better and more loyal than my companions …
Al-Shaykh al-Mufid, al-Irshad, vol.2 p.91
Sahaba
Anas b. al-Harith
Abd al-Rahman b. Abd Rabb al-Ansari
Muslim b. Awsaja al-Asadi
Ammar b. Abi Salama al-Dalani
Companions of Imam Ali
Abu Thumama al-Sa’idi
Habib b. Muzahir
Zahir, Amr b. Hamiq’s slave
Ammar b. Abi Salama al-Dalani
Sa’d b. al-Harith al-Khuza’i
Abd Allah b. Umayr al-Kalbi
Kardus b. Zuhayr
Nafi’ b. Hilal al-Bajali
Others
Ibrahim b. al-Husayn al-Asadi
Hudhayfa b. Asid al-Ghifari’s nephew (the son of his brother)
Abu Hayaj
Adham b. Umayya
Anis b. Ma’qil al-Asbahi
Burayr b. Khudayr al-Hamdani
Bashir b. Amr al-Hadrami
Jabir b. al-Hajjaj
Jabala b. Ali al-Shaybani
Junada b. al-Harith
Jundab b. Hujayr
Jawn b. Huwayy (Abu Dhar’s slave)
Juwayn b. Malik
Al-Harith b. Imru’ al-Qays
Al-Harith b. Nahban
Hamza b. Abd al-Muttalib’s slave
Abu l-Hutuf b. al-Harth
Al-Hajjaj b. Zayd
Al-Hajjaj b. Masruq
Al-Hurr b. Yazid al-Riyahi
Al-Hallas b. Amr
Nu’man b. Amr
Hanzala b. As’ad
Rafi’
Rumayth b. Amr
Zuhayr b. Bishr al-Khath’ami
Zuhayr b. Sulaym al-Azdi
Zuhayr b. al-Qayn al-Bajali
Zayd b. Ma’qil
Salim b. Amr
Sa’d b. Hanzala al-Tamimi
Sa’id b. Abd Allah al-Hanafi
Sa’id b. Kardam
Sulayman b. Razin (Imam al-Husayn’s slave)
Sulayman b. Rabi’a
Sawwar b. Abi Himyar
Suwayd b. Amr b. Abi Muta’
Sayf b. al-Harith al-Jabiri
Shabib b. Abd Allah al-Nahshali
Sayf b. Malik
Darghama b. Malik
Shawdhab
Dubab b. Amir
Abis b. Abi Shabib al-Shakiri
Amir b. Muslim
Salim (Amir b. Muslim’s slave)
Abbad b. Abi l-Muhajir
Abd al-Rahman b. Abd Allah al-Arhabi
Abd Allah b. Qays al-Ghifari
Abd al-Rahman b. Qays al-Ghifari
Uqba b. Salt
Ammar b. Hassan al-Ta’i
Umran b. Ka’b
Umar b. Ahduth al-Hadrami
Amr b. Khalid al-Saydawi
Sa’d b. Abd Allah al-Kufi, (Amr b. Khalid al-Saydawi’s slave)
Amr b. Khalid al-Azdi
Khalid b. Amr al-Azdi
Amr b. Dubay’a
Amr b. Abd Allah al-Junda’i
Amr b. Qaraza al-Ansari
Imam al-Husayn’s turk slave
Qarib b. Abd Allah (Imam al-Husayn’s slave)
Al-Qasim b. Habib al-Azdi
Qa’nab b. Amr al-Namiri
Kinana b. Atiq
Malik b. Abd Allah b. Sari’ al-Jabiri
Mujammi’ b. Ziyad
Mujammi’ b. Abd Allah al-A’idhi
Mujammi’ b. Abd Allah al-A’idhi’s son
Mas’ud b. al-Hajjaj
Abd al-Rahman b. Mas’ud
Muslim b. Kathir
Munjih (Imam al-Husayn’s slave)
Na’im b. al-Ajlan
Hafhaf b. Muhannad al-Rasibi
Hammam b. Salama al-Qanisi
Wahb b. Wahb
Yahya b. Sulaym al-Mazini
Yazid b. Ziyad b. Muhasir
Yazid b. Thubayt al-Abdi
Abd Allah b. Yazid b. Thubayt al-Abdi
Ubayd Allah b. Yazid b. Thubayt al-Abdi
Manner and Place of Burial
Muharram 11th or 13th of 61 AH/ October 11 or 13, 680; is mentioned as the time when the martyrs of Karbala were buried. According to some reports, after Ibn Sa’d and his soldiers returned, a group of people from Banu Asad who lived near Karbala, went to the battlefield and at a time of night, when they were safe from the enemies, prayed upon the bodies of Imam al-Husayn (a) and his companions and then buried them.
Most of the martyrs are buried in the collective grave of the martyrs of Karbala, below the grave of Imam al-Husayn (a). Ali al-Akbar (a) is buried below the feet of Imam (a) and Ali al-Asghar (a), according to the more famous report, is buried beside Imam (a). The shrine of al-Abbas b. Ali (a) is near Alqama Creek and the shrine of al-Hurr b. Yazid al-Riyahi is in the outskirt of the city of Karbala.
